China solar power plants

Both Israel and China are building large solar power plants at investments of about 2,500/m2 of collector area. The initial capacity of the solar thermal power plant in the Negev Desert in Israel is planned to be 150 mW, and it is estimated to cost 350 million. The plant is planned to expand to 500 mW at a cost of 1 billion. 

In Dunhuang City, Gansu Province in China, the construction of a 100 mW 765 million solar power plant has been approved. The plant will have 3.1 km2 of solar collectors at an installed cost of 2,450/m2. Because the Sun shines for 3,362 h/yr in the area, assuming that the plant will run fully loaded when solar energy can be collected and that the electricity will be sold at 12 /kWh, the value of the produced electricity will be 40.3 million per year. 

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